Today we would be looking at provision or presence in Hosea 2
Growing up I went to boarding school. In the boarding school, there is a term that we use called FFF. This means that a particular boy or girl is only your friend when you have plenty of provisions. Provisions as in extra snacks and things that we are allowed to bring into the school.) These FFF will no longer be your friends when your provisions have dwindled.
In this study, the tools we would use for this study are
- Who, What, When, Where, and How tool
- What does it mean?
- How does it apply to me today?
So let’s dig in and turn the bible to Hosea 2
Who, What, When, Where, and How tool
The Isrealites enjoyed and boosted the good things they had. But did not acknowledge it was because of God ‘s presence and provision..
When Israel turned away and left God, they took all the blessings they had because of God and attributed it to idols.
God then removed the blessing that comes from being in relationship with Him.
Israel thought her blessings came from every other person or thing except God.
When these blessings dried up, the so-called benefactors disappeared.
Israel is exposed, abandoned and all alone.
God, woos Israel back out of love for her.
Israel realises the person Who really cares for her is God.
What does it mean?
The Isrealites enjoyed and boosted the good things that God provided that was like a by-product of them being in relationship with God. While they wanted and flaunted these good things, they did not want to honour the commitment of their relationship with God.
So they attributed God’s blessing to idols. They wanted the blessings but not the giver of the blessings. This reminds me of the children of Israel in the wilderness. When Moses went up the mountain to get the 10 commandments, they built a golden calf (an idol) and said it was the calf which they built that led them out of Egypt. Even though the existence of the golden calf idol was after their deliverance from egypt.
And since they turned away from God, the blessing and the good things they had and enjoyed dried up. Unbeknown to them that it was the presence of God that sustained the blessings and the good things they had and enjoyed. Which signifies that the blessing and its sustenance depended on God’s presence.
Israel’s FFF ( friends for food) as we called this character in boarding school abandoned Israel when she no longer had goodies and blessings to share with them. Israel faced the hurt of being used and abandoned. She is exposed, abandoned and all alone.
In her abandoned state, God did not gloat over Israel’s misfortune but rather woos Israel back because He loves her. God was committed in His relationship with Israel.
Israel realises the one who really cares for her is God.
How does it apply to me today?
Who do we attribute the good things in our life to? Who do we attribute our successes to? While we may have made an effort in education or gaining a skill and putting these things into practice we may think or infer that we are the architect of success. The life of the farmer makes it clear that knowledge, skill and effort does not necessarily produce a blessing. What produces blessing and success is actually the presence of God in our lives.
The farmer buys planting seeds, and sews it into the earth that God created. God sends rain, sunshine, the right humidity and wind for the seed to grow and produce a harvest. So who produces the harvest? Is it the farmer that buys the planting seeds (that shows his knowledge), or his ability to sew the seeds into the soil (that shows his skills) or is it God who sends the rain, sunshine, humidity and wind and gives the seed the ability to grow. For there are many farmers who had the skills, knowledge, ability, made all the necessary efforts and the right environment (sun, rain, wind etc) but did not produce a harvest.
As it says in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
And also in Deuteronomy 8:18
Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.
Are you or am I successful based on education, skills, knowledge and or efforts? Many are, or even more educated, more skilled, more knowledgeable, and put in more effort. But who gives success is God. And it is only God that can sustain success.
In Hosea chapter 2 God was refocusing Israel’s attention from the success and blessings they had to the One who gave and gives them success. To Himself, His presence and relationship.
The question and challenge from this study is where is my focus, where is your attention? Is it to the blessing and success or is it to the presence of God.